At a glance
The Alice Smith School, known locally as KLASS, traces its history to 1946 when Alice Fairfield Smith opened a small class in her Kuala Lumpur home. It is recognised as the first international school in Malaysia and remains the only school in the country that is both a founding member of the Federation of British International Schools in Asia and an accredited member of the Council of British International Schools. It operates as a charitable foundation rather than for profit, so fee income is reinvested in the school. You can place it within the wider market of international schools in Kuala Lumpur through our city hub.
| Detail | Summary |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and exam boards | British curriculum, Cambridge and Pearson Edexcel IGCSE, A Level |
| Stages | Preschool to Year 13 (ages 3 to 18) |
| Founded | 1946 |
| Accreditation | COBIS accredited member, founding FOBISIA member, inspected as a British School Overseas, member of CIS and ISC |
| Fee band | Premium (see the Kuala Lumpur fees guide) |
| Campuses | Primary on Jalan Bellamy, Kuala Lumpur; Secondary on Jalan Equine, Seri Kembangan, Selangor |
Curriculum and academics
Alice Smith follows the National Curriculum for England, adapted for an international cohort. The primary campus runs the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stages 1 and 2. The secondary campus delivers Key Stage 3, then Cambridge and Pearson Edexcel IGCSE in Years 10 and 11, followed by a two year A Level sixth form in Years 12 and 13. Pupils leave with A Levels that are read directly by universities in the United Kingdom, Australia, North America and across Asia. The school reports strong progression to Russell Group and other selective universities, though families should ask the admissions team for the most recent destinations data rather than relying on summary figures. As a long established British school it also carries the inspection scrutiny of the British Schools Overseas framework, which is unusual depth of external oversight for the region.
Alice Smith School fees
Alice Smith School fees sit firmly in the premium band for the city, broadly comparable with Garden International and the other established British schools. Annual tuition rises by year group, with sixth form the most expensive stage. We do not publish a single headline figure here because the school revises fees each year; the school office issues the current schedule on request, and you can sense check the band against our guide to international school fees in Kuala Lumpur. Beyond tuition, budget for a registration or assessment fee, a refundable deposit, a one time capital or building levy, and optional school bus charges for families living away from either campus. These line items are standard across premium Kuala Lumpur schools and can add a meaningful sum in the first year.
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Admissions
Admission runs on a rolling basis across the academic year, which starts in August. The most contested entry points are the early years and Year 7, where waiting lists form well ahead of time, so families relocating to Kuala Lumpur are advised to register as early as a place is foreseeable. Assessment is age appropriate: informal observation and a taster session for the youngest children, and curriculum based assessment in English and mathematics, alongside school reports and references, for older applicants. Sixth form entry is conditional on IGCSE grades. The school asks for previous school records and may interview the family. For a structured comparison of Alice Smith against other shortlisted schools, our compare tool puts the details side by side.
Location and who goes there
The school runs two distinct sites. The primary campus on Jalan Bellamy sits centrally near the Lake Gardens and the diplomatic quarter, convenient for families living in central Kuala Lumpur, Bangsar and the embassy belt. The secondary campus on Jalan Equine in Seri Kembangan is south of the city, a purpose built site with extensive sports and performance facilities, drawing families from the southern suburbs and the Mines area as well as those willing to commute from the centre. The community is genuinely international, with British, other European, Malaysian, Korean, Japanese and Australian families well represented. For the broader picture of where families settle, return to the Kuala Lumpur city hub.
Reviews
No verified reviews yet. GlobalSchoolGuide is independent and no school pays to be listed, so we publish parent reviews only once they are verified. If your child attends or has attended the Alice Smith School, you can submit a review to help other relocating families. We never display a star rating without real, checked reviews behind it.
Frequently asked questions
How much are Alice Smith School fees?
Alice Smith School fees sit in the premium tier for Kuala Lumpur, with tuition rising by year group and the sixth form the most expensive stage. The school revises fees annually and issues the current schedule on request. Budget separately for registration, a refundable deposit, a capital levy and optional bus fees.
Is Alice Smith School a good school?
Alice Smith is Malaysia's oldest British international school and one of its most established, with COBIS accreditation, British Schools Overseas inspection and a long record of A Level progression to selective universities. Whether it suits your child depends on stage, budget and which of the two campuses fits your location.
What curriculum does Alice Smith School follow?
It follows the National Curriculum for England, with Cambridge and Pearson Edexcel IGCSE in Years 10 and 11 and a two year A Level sixth form in Years 12 and 13. The primary campus runs the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stages 1 and 2.
When do Alice Smith School applications open?
Admission is rolling across the August to June academic year, but the early years and Year 7 fill earliest, so register as soon as a place is foreseeable. Sixth form entry depends on IGCSE results and opens in the preceding academic year.
Where is the Alice Smith School located?
The primary campus is on Jalan Bellamy in central Kuala Lumpur and the secondary campus is on Jalan Equine in Seri Kembangan, Selangor, south of the city.
